Ticket-dispensing machine.



N. SHURE. TICKET msPENslNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.26, 1917.-

1,266,069. v Patented May14,1918.

NATHAN SHURE, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TICKET-DISPENSING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1918.

Application filed November 26, 1917. Serial No. 204,034.

To all whom t may Concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN SHURE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful .Improvements in Ticket-Dispensing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ticket dispensing machines and has for its primaryl object the provision of an improved machine of this character which shall have improved means for projecting tickets through an aperture provided from a tape contained within the casing of the machine.

A further object is the provision of 1mproved means for preventing retrograde movement of the tape with respect to the discharge aperture.

A further object is the provision of a machine locked against operation except by a particular type of handle.

Other objects and advantages of my 1nvention will appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specication and illustrate the p referred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings- Y Figure l is a top plan view of the casing of my invention illustrating in dotted lines the position of a ticket tape therein;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a removable operating handle for the machine;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken approximately on line 4--4 of Fig. 2 and loo ing at the actuating mechanism from below;

Fig. 5 is a section taken approximately on line 5 5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken approximately on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Reference numeral 10 indicates generally a casing for my invention adaptedto contain a tape 11 of tickets, the outer extremity 12 of which extends upwardly from the roll of tape mounted near the center of the casing and is horizontally disposed near the top of the casing in a ticket channel 13 secured by lugs 14 and screws 15 to the under surface of the top wall 16 of the casing. The outer end of the channel 13 intersects the front wall 17 of the casing and registers with the ticket discharging aperture 18 providedl therein. The top wall 16 is apertured just above the forward end of the channel and the aperture is fitted with a glass pane 19, by means of which the first ticket to be discharged from the tape is visible from the outside of the casing. For convenience in description the first ticket to be discharged from the machine, that is the one lying just inwardly of the discharge aperture 18, is numbered 2l, the second ticket on the tape is numbered 22, the third ticket 23, and the fourth ticket 24. The ticket tape is preferably scored across as at 25 to facilitate separation of the tickets and at the center of each scored line a hole is punched, half of this hole being cut out of each of two connected tickets. The hole between tickets 21 and 22 is numbered 26, that between 22 and 23 is numbered 27, the next hole, between tickets 23 and 24, is numbered 28.

XV hen the ticket 2l lies just within the discharge aperture 18 the hole 27 lies the length of two tickets inwardly of the outer end of the channel. From this location forwardly for a distance preferably slightly greater than the length of a ticket the bottom wall of the channel is longitudinally slit and two parallel spaced guide flanges 29 are provided which merge with the lower surface of the bottom wall 13, extending downwardly of the channel and increase in thickness toward the discharge aperture 18. Pivotally mounted on a stud 3l proj ecting downwardly from the top wall 16 is an operating lever 32 normally held in retracted position against a stop 33 by means of the tension spring 34, secured at one end to the operating lever and connected at its opposite end to a screw 35 mounted in the top wall. The operating handle at its outer end is disposed within the side wall of the casing 10 and in register with a horizontal slot 36provided for the insertion of an operating handle 37 which is hollowed out at its inner end, as at 38, and carries a depending projection 39 on its inner end. At 4l is provided a bearing adapted to guide and uphold the operating lever at a point remote from its pivot31,this guide comprising a strap spaced from the upper wall 16 beyond the bottom wall of channel 13 and fixed at its ends to the top wall of the casing,

the operating lever 32 oscillatingbetween the bearing 41 and the bottom of the channel 13. Extending from the forward end of the bearing 4l is a depending edge flange 42 which at its rear end 43 terminates short of the retracted position of the operating lever 32, as shown in full lines in Fig. 4. A locking spring `44 is fixed at its lower end by rivets to the lower surface of the Operating lever 32 near the pivoted end of the lever and extends longitudinally of the lever to a point between slot 36 and flange 42, where it is out-turned at its tip. The outer end of the locking spring 44 just back of its top is normally pressed against the bottom of the bearing 41, so that an unauthorized person tampering with the machinewill be unable to operate lever 32 without moving spring 44 downward beyond the bottom of flange 42, inasmuch as the end of the spring normally strikes the rearward end of 43 of the flange. When handle 37 is passed through slot 3G and slipped on the outer end of operating lever 32 its projection 39 strikes the outbent tip of spring 44, moving the spring to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, where it clears the bottom of the rear end 43 of flange42 and permits oscillation of handle and operating lever through the path indicated between the full lines and dotted lines in Fig. 4. Pivoted, as at 4G, to the operating lever at a pointpreferably opposite the bottom of channel 13 is a ticket pushing finger 47 formed with a crossarm 48 at its forward end, and provided with a tip 49 positioned and shaped to enter the hole 27 of the tape, as shown' in Figs. 4 and 5. By operationv of the lever through the pat-h indicated in Fig. 4 the finger 47, which extends forwardly of its pivotal connection with the lever, pushes the ticket tape through a distance substantially that of the length of one ticket, and the cross-arm 48,riding downwardly upon the gradually increasing guide flanges 39, serve to draw the tip 49 from `hole 27, thereby releasing tip 49 for return oscillation to its retracted position where it will then enter hole 28. The ticket 21, following this operation, will new project sufficiently from aperture 18 to be removed by tearing it off against a shearing blade 51 traversing the upper side of aperture 18. Should it happen that the operation of the lever 32 has been somewhat short of normal `so that ticket 21 is not fully projected from the aperture, the operator may draw the tape by hand until hole 26 and the scored line 25 on each side thereof register beneath shearing blade 51. The further withdrawal of the tape is prevented, however, by the synchronous entrance of tip 49 into hole 28. Should the ticket purchaser, having operated lever 32 in the manner above described, desire to push the whole tape of tickets backwardly in the channel 13, to make it appear that the device had not been operated, he is prevented from so doing by means of a tongue 52 struck up from the bottom of channel 13 and projecting obliquely forward in a position where it will enter each successive ticket hole as soon as the hole registers above it. Preferably the tongue 52 is sharpened so that it will punch its way into the imperforate body portion of the tape in case the ticket purchaser partially oscillates t-he handle 32 and attempts to push the tape backwardly in the channel while holding tip 49 out of engagement with the tape.

In the operation of my invention handle 3T is inserted through slot 36 and upon the free end of lever 32 until the inner end of the handle strikes the bearing 41, in which position projection 39 has forced spring `44 below the rearward end 43 of stop flange 42. By manipulation of the `handle the lever 32 is now oscillated from the full line posit-ion of Fig. 4 forward to the dot-ted line position, thereby pusl'iing ticket 21 from aperture 18, withdrawing tip 49 from hole 27 and causing the tape hole next behind hole 28 to register opposite and be engaged by tongue Releasing the handle permits spring 34 to draw operating lever 32 to the retracted position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 4', in which position tip 49 enters aperture 28, leaving the machine set for repetition of this operation. By withdrawing handle 3T from the machine the owner may render difficult, if not impossible, the operation there.

of. By looking through window 19 lthe operator, having projected ticket '21 outwardly of aperture 18, is enabled to read any printed matter, not shown, which may be placed upon the upper surface of the forward end of ticket lllhile I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that one skilled in the art may make modifications thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention. I wish, therefore, not to be restricted to the precise cmbodiment shown, except in so far as the same is limited in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with la casing having a discharge aperture, of a tape supporting channel registering with the aperture, said channel being longitudinally, slotted, a guide flange formed along the edge of said slot and having its outer-,edge gradually divergling from the surface of the channel in a forward direction, a linger adapted to engage a tape lying in the channel to Aproject the same forwardly through said aperture, a cross-arm on said finger positioned to ride upon said outer edge of the guide flange, and means accessible from the exterior of the casing for operating said finger.

2. rfhe combination with a casing having a discharge aperture of a tape supporting channel registering with the aperture, said channel being longitudinally slotted, a guide flange formed along the edge of said slot andhavingits outer edge gradually divergiiig from the surface of the channel in aforward direction, a 'finger vadapted to engage a ltape lying in the channel to project the same forwardly through said aperture, a

cross-arm on said linger' positioned to ride upon said outer edge of the guide ange, and means accessible from the exterior of the casing for operating said finger, said channel including a sharpened tongue struck up obliquely from the wall of the channel and extending forwardly from the base in the channel, said tongue being shaped to enter a tape supported in the channel upon backward movement of the tape.

3. The combination with a tape support, of a casing in which the support is mounted, said casing being provided with an aperture registering with the forward end of the support, a finger adapted to move a tape forwardly in said support and operating means for the linger comprising an oscillatory lever to which the finger is pivoted, a bearing in which the lever oscillates, a yield-stop member carried by the lever, a rigid stop mounted on the bearing in the path of movement of said member, said lever registering opposite a slot provided in the wall of the casing but terminating within the casing in a. retracted position, and an operating handle for said lever shaped to operatively engage the same and simultaneously to move said yielding stop member beyond the extremity of said rigid stop.

4. In a ticket dispensing machine, the combination with a ticket ejecting finger, of operating mechanism therefor comprising an operating lever divided at one end within the casing and having its free end normally within the casing, a leaf spring fixed to said lever, a bearing for the lever projected between said spring and the lever, a xed stop formed on the bearing and projecting into the normal path of movement of the spring, and a removable handle for said lever comprising a projection adapted to move and` member carried by the lever and standin normally in alinement with said stop, and a device socketed upon the lever for moving said member out of alinement with the stop.

6. In a ticket dispensing machine, the combination with a casing having a discharge aperture and a tape supporting channel registering at its forward end with said aperture, said channel being longitudinally slotted, of guide fianges formed on opposite edges of said slot and diverging outwardly from the surface of the channel in a forward direction, a ticket linger positioned without the channel, a cross-arm on said .finger adapted to ride on the outer edges of said guide flanges, a tip on said finger traversing the slot and shaped to engage a tape supported in the channel, and means for reciprocating said finger longitudinally of the channel.

7. In a ticket dispensing device, the combination of a casing provided with a discharge aperturev for a ticket tape, of a tape ejecting finger reciprocable toward and from said aperture within the casing, means for withdrawing said finger from engagement with a tape in the casing when the finger has reached the forward end of its path of reciprocation, and a. sharpened tongue positioned to enter a tape mounted on the casing upon retrograde movement of said tape,

said finger being mounted to renter a tape in the casing upon reachinits rearward position with respect to the ischarge aperture. n

S. As an article of manufacture, a metal tape supporting channel comprising a bottom wall, a longitudinal slot formed in said bottom wall, edged flanges projecting downwardly from said slot and gradually diverging from said bottom wall in a forward direction, and a tongue struck up obliquely from said bottom wall and projecting forwardly of its root in the wall.

In testimony whereof I have afHXed my v signature.

NATHAN SHURE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I)` C. 

